A common tactic of teams when pressing is to force the opposition to one side of the pitch before trapping them in that area. This can be an effective tactic, which creates a defensive overload to help regain the ball. However, it also leaves teams exposed on the opposite, or weak, side of the pitch. Efficiently switching the point of attack can be an important tactic in overcoming this form of press. It can be used to isolate opposition full-backs and punish teams when they are imbalanced.
Switching the point of attack can be defined as moving the ball from one lateral zone to another. For this analysis, the focus will be on attacks that begin in one wide area and finish in the opposite wide area. This tactical theory will first provide an analysis of the tactics teams have used to switch the point of attack. This tactical analysis includes examples of the effectiveness of switches of play from Ange Postecoglous Tottenham in their recent Premier League match against Newcastle. It also contains examples of how coaches can implement these tactics.
Switching against a mid-block
The above tactical diagram shows an example scenario of how to switch the point of attack against a 4-4-2 mid-block. Here, the defending team (pink) has attempted to suffocate the attacking team (blue) on one side of the pitch. By initially being patient and staying away from the ball, the blue teams midfield has created pockets to run into.
The ball being played into the right-back triggers the two ball-near midfielders to make their runs and create a triangle around the ball. The centre-back, who played the pass into the right-back, helps create space for the triangle by immediately dropping off after playing the pass. The right-back, receiving the ball facing inside the pitch, plays the next pass with the first or second touch. This gives the opposition little time to react and allows the midfielder to receive on the move, making the midfielder impossible to pick up.
By electing to play
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